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Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
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Derren Brown tricks some guy into thinking he's in the middle of a real-life zombie game called Waking Dead.
Cruel but amusing.
Cruel but amusing.
Jun 10, 2005 9:35 AM
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
Is the guy set up or are we? I decided to indulge and make like it was a documentary. Yes, fantasy world... where most folks live.
That was a nice vacation. I'm gonna go back to being a jaded and cynical bastard now.
That was a nice vacation. I'm gonna go back to being a jaded and cynical bastard now.
By: spam_vigilante
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
Its staged. Even in the UK the liablity for that sorta prank would be incredible (what if the poor smuck went medeval on the "zombies" rather than using the (paint?) ball gun.
Never mind the how they put him into a trance to begin with (singled out an eplileptic for the game?).
Never mind the how they put him into a trance to begin with (singled out an eplileptic for the game?).
By: slacker_deluxe
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
That was definitely not an epileptic seizure.
CAtatonic trances can be caused by flashes of light, even in regular people. I was doubtful too and decided to look it up.
As for liability and whatnot, the 'zombies' could have signed a waiver, or Derren Brown could just not give a damn
CAtatonic trances can be caused by flashes of light, even in regular people. I was doubtful too and decided to look it up.
As for liability and whatnot, the 'zombies' could have signed a waiver, or Derren Brown could just not give a damn
By: trevdak
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
Yes, Derren Brown always says what he's doing is real - it's just making the most of a variety of techniques to control the human mind.
It's not magic, it's phsycology.
Brilliant.
It's not magic, it's phsycology.
Brilliant.
By: chocolatemoose
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
Derren Brown is an illusionist. It's kind of an open secret that he's at least halfway pulling your leg whenever he offers an "explanation" for one of his stunts.
My guess is that the subject was hypnotized in advance, before he even started playing the game. It's stage hypnotism without a stage, the only difference being that instead of telling his subject to act like a chicken, Derren told him to act like he was playing a video game, fending off a horde of zombies, etc. With a little clever editing, he put it all together to make it look like the game caused the trance, when in reality the flashes of light had nothing to do with it.
My guess is that the subject was hypnotized in advance, before he even started playing the game. It's stage hypnotism without a stage, the only difference being that instead of telling his subject to act like a chicken, Derren told him to act like he was playing a video game, fending off a horde of zombies, etc. With a little clever editing, he put it all together to make it look like the game caused the trance, when in reality the flashes of light had nothing to do with it.
By: quisph
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
> Derren Brown is an illusionist. It's kind of an open secret that he's at least halfway pulling your leg whenever he offers an "explanation" for one of his stunts.
Nail on the head there. Half is deception of the audience watching, but that's what makes him one of the great. Personally I think he's the greatest magician we have ever seen. He made magic cool again.
Also being a huge fan of his work, I've noticed over the years that he never seems to have much concern for liability in the past and appears to have contempt for almost everybody who isn't him.
Nail on the head there. Half is deception of the audience watching, but that's what makes him one of the great. Personally I think he's the greatest magician we have ever seen. He made magic cool again.
Also being a huge fan of his work, I've noticed over the years that he never seems to have much concern for liability in the past and appears to have contempt for almost everybody who isn't him.
By: gerrywastaken
Re: Derren Brown - Zombie Game pt. 1
Part 2 to be found here. Can't post two in one go unfortunately. :(
http://youtube.com/watch?v=D98P4rcgw7E&search=derren%20brown
Watch how the guy whos been put into a trance goes mental.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=D98P4rcgw7E&search=derren%20brown
Watch how the guy whos been put into a trance goes mental.
By: dudeglove
Re: Derren Brown - Zombie Game pt. 1
http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/31541/
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
Possibility 1)
It's bullshit. Of course. Obviously. Jury is out on whether Derren Brown is a genuine douchebag or whether he just plays one on tv. The guy playing the part of the guinea pig is pretty good at pretending. He took some acting classes in middle school maybe; maybe he got to play McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; received a favourable notice from the school newspaper. The people playing his mates are less adept at pretending... or maybe just not as theatrical.
Possibility 2)
It's genuine. If so then...
Nope. I can't even pretend to seriously explore this as a possibility. Can't do it.
However, I find it fascinating the nature of the hoax that they are proposing.
I've pulled a few hoaxes in my day and even when I think the fiction I'm proposing is blatantly on the surface, even when I feel like I'm pretty much mouthing the words "this is not real", people will still commit themselves to belief. And I'm not even a professional huckster like Mr. Brown (if that's his real name). He knows that some people - maybe a lot of people - will not be able to see through the hokum. He knows that people are going to believe.
So what is it that he's asking them to believe apart from the fiction of "we've invented a hypnotizing machine in the form of a video game". They are asking people to believe that 1) Darren Brown is a kidnapper. 2) Darren Brown is a torturer. 3) Every single person involved in the execution of this stunt was willing to be complicit in a criminal act of abduction and unusual cruelty for the sake of a really cheesy television spot.
That is, I think, brave. And if Derren Brown (if that's his real name) is actually a humble, salt-of-the-earth dude, and he is willing to drag his own name through the mud in the interest of his craft, then I applaud him.
Or maybe he's just a douchebag.
It's bullshit. Of course. Obviously. Jury is out on whether Derren Brown is a genuine douchebag or whether he just plays one on tv. The guy playing the part of the guinea pig is pretty good at pretending. He took some acting classes in middle school maybe; maybe he got to play McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; received a favourable notice from the school newspaper. The people playing his mates are less adept at pretending... or maybe just not as theatrical.
Possibility 2)
It's genuine. If so then...
Nope. I can't even pretend to seriously explore this as a possibility. Can't do it.
However, I find it fascinating the nature of the hoax that they are proposing.
I've pulled a few hoaxes in my day and even when I think the fiction I'm proposing is blatantly on the surface, even when I feel like I'm pretty much mouthing the words "this is not real", people will still commit themselves to belief. And I'm not even a professional huckster like Mr. Brown (if that's his real name). He knows that some people - maybe a lot of people - will not be able to see through the hokum. He knows that people are going to believe.
So what is it that he's asking them to believe apart from the fiction of "we've invented a hypnotizing machine in the form of a video game". They are asking people to believe that 1) Darren Brown is a kidnapper. 2) Darren Brown is a torturer. 3) Every single person involved in the execution of this stunt was willing to be complicit in a criminal act of abduction and unusual cruelty for the sake of a really cheesy television spot.
That is, I think, brave. And if Derren Brown (if that's his real name) is actually a humble, salt-of-the-earth dude, and he is willing to drag his own name through the mud in the interest of his craft, then I applaud him.
Or maybe he's just a douchebag.
By: spirot
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
What I find really interesting that is people such as yourself, who have "pulled a few hoaxes" in their day, as you so elaborately put it (no details needed, I guess we'll just take your word, yeah?) feel as though they have authority to judge what they are seeing and persuade others to think the same.
If we're all honest with one another, none of us know what the fuck happened. Instead of stating with certainty that because you've "pulled a few hoaxes" in your day and haven't had Brown's level of success that this couldn't possibly be an accurate representation of what transpired, why not admit that NO ONE can know for sure, so sit back and enjoy the ride?
Douchebag? Criss Angel - Never admits he's wrong, never shows a mistake, hires paid actors, admits to using post-production.
While I may see like I'm coming across as a huge supporter of Brown, facts are that he SHOWS mistakes, he explains that things don't always work and that what he does is entertaining at best, criminal at worst (ie Card Counting, Dog Betting etc.). I don't watch his shows, I don't live in the UK, I'm basing this all on various YouTUBE clips, but I think it's safe to say that someone who can expose those people that are scared of the fact that they may not always understand what they see (hint hint) is entertaining and frankly, what more could you want?
If we're all honest with one another, none of us know what the fuck happened. Instead of stating with certainty that because you've "pulled a few hoaxes" in your day and haven't had Brown's level of success that this couldn't possibly be an accurate representation of what transpired, why not admit that NO ONE can know for sure, so sit back and enjoy the ride?
Douchebag? Criss Angel - Never admits he's wrong, never shows a mistake, hires paid actors, admits to using post-production.
While I may see like I'm coming across as a huge supporter of Brown, facts are that he SHOWS mistakes, he explains that things don't always work and that what he does is entertaining at best, criminal at worst (ie Card Counting, Dog Betting etc.). I don't watch his shows, I don't live in the UK, I'm basing this all on various YouTUBE clips, but I think it's safe to say that someone who can expose those people that are scared of the fact that they may not always understand what they see (hint hint) is entertaining and frankly, what more could you want?
By: Shiggety
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
I have the authority to judge because everybody has the authority to judge. The fact that one cannot know exactly what happened from direct experience does not disable ones powers of deduction, inference, critical observation, and common sense.
My comment was not about trying to persuade people to see the hoax that it is. It just clearly is a hoax. That's it; that's all. If others can't see that, what do I care? If I cared to convince people otherwise, then I would have elaborated on why it's a hoax. If someone wants to believe this narrative of a hypnosis machine, fine with me.
I don't know what Criss Angel has to do with it but since you brought him up... his persona is a douchebag too. Whether he and Derren are both stand up dudes when they take their performer masks off is something I don't know... but the smuggery of douche that is part of their performance persona is as thick as a thick thing that sticks to things that thick things stick to. If we're all honest with one another, if we met a Criss Angel or a Derren Brown at a wedding, we'd probably want to spill drinks on them. Entertain us on tv, fine, just don't date my sister.
Whether I have experience hoaxing folk or not was not the point, I guess. I'm not a forensic medical examiner, nor do I specialize in the gadgetry of advanced computer-aided analysis, but that doesn't make me unable to judge that the science on CGI Miami... sorry, CSI Miami is bullshit.
Bringing up my experience with hoaxes wasn't about whether I'm any good at hoaxing, whether my hoaxes compare with the production values of Mr. Brown et al... my point was that I have experienced how willing people are to believe. Even with my own flawed material, people just want to believe. People want to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that he walked on water and raised a man from the dead. People want to believe that their President is motivated by the highest and noblest ideals. People want to believe Bill O'Reilly. People want to believe Olbermann. People want to believe Derren Brown built a hypnosis machine in the form of a video game. They want to believe these people and they want to believe that they're being told truth.
The point I am striving to make is that Derren Brown is asking people to believe. Most of what he is asking us to believe is about his video game zombie hypnotizer machine. But he is also asking us to believe that Derren Brown is the kind of person that kidnaps and tortures innocent people. And if Derren Brown is not actually the kind of person that kidnaps and tortures innocent people, then his mediated sense of self is akin to Andy Kaufman... and that is awesome.
My comment was not about trying to persuade people to see the hoax that it is. It just clearly is a hoax. That's it; that's all. If others can't see that, what do I care? If I cared to convince people otherwise, then I would have elaborated on why it's a hoax. If someone wants to believe this narrative of a hypnosis machine, fine with me.
I don't know what Criss Angel has to do with it but since you brought him up... his persona is a douchebag too. Whether he and Derren are both stand up dudes when they take their performer masks off is something I don't know... but the smuggery of douche that is part of their performance persona is as thick as a thick thing that sticks to things that thick things stick to. If we're all honest with one another, if we met a Criss Angel or a Derren Brown at a wedding, we'd probably want to spill drinks on them. Entertain us on tv, fine, just don't date my sister.
Whether I have experience hoaxing folk or not was not the point, I guess. I'm not a forensic medical examiner, nor do I specialize in the gadgetry of advanced computer-aided analysis, but that doesn't make me unable to judge that the science on CGI Miami... sorry, CSI Miami is bullshit.
Bringing up my experience with hoaxes wasn't about whether I'm any good at hoaxing, whether my hoaxes compare with the production values of Mr. Brown et al... my point was that I have experienced how willing people are to believe. Even with my own flawed material, people just want to believe. People want to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that he walked on water and raised a man from the dead. People want to believe that their President is motivated by the highest and noblest ideals. People want to believe Bill O'Reilly. People want to believe Olbermann. People want to believe Derren Brown built a hypnosis machine in the form of a video game. They want to believe these people and they want to believe that they're being told truth.
The point I am striving to make is that Derren Brown is asking people to believe. Most of what he is asking us to believe is about his video game zombie hypnotizer machine. But he is also asking us to believe that Derren Brown is the kind of person that kidnaps and tortures innocent people. And if Derren Brown is not actually the kind of person that kidnaps and tortures innocent people, then his mediated sense of self is akin to Andy Kaufman... and that is awesome.
By: spirot
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
I wouldn't call Derren Brown a douchebag, but I would say he is a bit crazy. He has pulled a number of stunts, including playing Russian roulette, which could have some serious consequences, lethally or legally. However, like any performer, I'm sure he gets a "high" from pulling off a good performance, similar to one of the magicians in "The Prestige."
By: chronomitch
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
Derren Brown: The System
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQrOrBZdJig
I hadn't seen this one before and while I found it predictable right from the start it was still very well done and would be interesting to anybody who doesn't understand it after watching the first part. I'm not going to officially post it on m&c, but if somebody else thinks it's worth while then feel free to take it as your own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQrOrBZdJig
I hadn't seen this one before and while I found it predictable right from the start it was still very well done and would be interesting to anybody who doesn't understand it after watching the first part. I'm not going to officially post it on m&c, but if somebody else thinks it's worth while then feel free to take it as your own.
By: gerrywastaken
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
Whether you believe this video was staged or not and whether Derren Brown is a fake, hypnotism, whether by flashes of light, repetition of a soothing voice, etc, is real. It's not magic.
Derren Brown IS a performer. He uses acting, subliminal suggestions, illusions, and sometimes hypnotism to achieve the desired effect. The great thing about his "style" is that he doesn't act like it is magic. On both his televised and live performances, he usually goes to great lengths to show that all of these seemingly magical/impossible feats are merely a result of tricks of the brain and a masterful "conductor."
One thing I will note, however, is that things like subliminal suggestions and hypnotism does not work on everyone. I would wager that a lot of material gets cut from these videos simply because the tricks do not work every time. I wouldn't take what you see happening in these videos as the complete truth.
Derren Brown IS a performer. He uses acting, subliminal suggestions, illusions, and sometimes hypnotism to achieve the desired effect. The great thing about his "style" is that he doesn't act like it is magic. On both his televised and live performances, he usually goes to great lengths to show that all of these seemingly magical/impossible feats are merely a result of tricks of the brain and a masterful "conductor."
One thing I will note, however, is that things like subliminal suggestions and hypnotism does not work on everyone. I would wager that a lot of material gets cut from these videos simply because the tricks do not work every time. I wouldn't take what you see happening in these videos as the complete truth.
By: chronomitch
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
Hypnosis is "real" only for certain definitions of "real." There is a vast difference between what science means by "hypnosis" and what mentalists mean by it. The mentalists' version of hypnosis is largely fake.
By: quisph
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
All I have to say is that I have been to one of those hypnosis performances. I would have been hypnotized if I hadn't tried to catch myself from hitting the ground. For other people, though, it just didn't work.
As I said before, it's not fool proof or something that you see in the movies, but it can be done. It is simply not as far-fetched as you might think.
As I said before, it's not fool proof or something that you see in the movies, but it can be done. It is simply not as far-fetched as you might think.
By: chronomitch
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
I'm not saying that hypnosis itself is far-fetched. In fact, I used to assist a stage hypnotist. I'm only saying that not all claims made *about* hypnosis are true. And just because Derren Brown is telling us that he achieved a certain result using hypnosis, that doesn't make it true. It could be a combination of hypnosis and some other trickery. And I don't mean just using trickery to achieve reliable results, but using trickery to achieve *impossible* results. I hope that makes sense.
By: quisph
